In total, former Toronto Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins played a role in helping 12 Maple Leafs get to the NHL. And none of them has forgotten it.

“He really cared about the guys,” said Gunnarsson. “I remember when [was] I called up, I got called into his office and he said, ‘Gunnar, get out of here. I don’t want to see you again.’ It’s funny, but that was his job to get guys out of the AHL.”

“He was pretty instrumental in my development and my career,” said Kadri. “Obviously, I’m thankful for that. I just wish him the best of luck. Just not tonight.”

Eakins, who spent four seasons as the head coach of the Marlies and led them to the Calder Cup final in 2012, is now in his first year as the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. He returned to Toronto on Saturday night to face his old team (he was also an assistant coach with the Leafs).

“I’m obviously very familiar,” Eakins said of being back at the Air Canada Centre. I think I know everybody who works in this building, from the ushers to the Zamboni guys to the staff. I’ve got a history with a lot of the players. So yeah, it’s always good when it’s something familiar and I’m grateful for the time I spent here.”

Eakins has not has immediate success with the Oilers, who head into Saturday night’s game in last place in the Western Conference with a 1-3-0 record. He said coaching at the NHL level has been a transition.

“I think there are certain things that you can’t say to a guy now,” said Eakins. “One of the things that you could say in the American League is, ‘do you want to make fifty-grand or do you want to make five-hundred grand? Or do you want to play in the American League or do you want to go where you dreamed of playing your whole life?’ You could use things like that.

“Those are pretty simple and they don’t really mean a lot. You have to get to the core of the player. But no, I haven’t changed my approach. I am who I am. I am going to push and prod and try to find a way to get guys to do what they sometimes don’t want to do … at the end of the day, you hope the motivation is they want to win a Stanley Cup.”

So far, the players in the Oilers room appreciate Eakins’ style, although it has been a learning process.

“I think Dallas really wants to put that in our heads that we’re not a young team anymore, that we’re just a normal team in the league that wins every night,” said Oilers forward Taylor Hall. “I think everyone has been receptive to what he’s been saying and it’s only a matter of time before we start racking up the wins and get going.”